‘Tens of Thousands’ of Civilians Displaced in new Burma Army Attacks
A humanitarian aid organisation said that Burma Army offensives during October and November have displaced more than 10,000 civilians,.
The Free Burma Rangers, delivers medical aid and monitors conflict areas inside Burma, recorded 92 new armed clashes in parts of Northern Shan and Western Kachin State over the last two months, including attacks by Government aircraft, heavy artillery, and armoured vehicles.
FBR said that at least 15 people had been killed since the offensives began in October, including 3 civilians caught in the crossfire.
Human rights abuses have also been reported in territory controlled by the Burma Army, with torture, rape, extortion and forced labour of civilians all being documented.
“This heightened aggression came both prior to and after the November elections and indicates a desire by the Burma Army and Burma government to gain complete control over the ethnic peoples,” FBR said in a media statement, “Similar to the 2011 offensive, the Burma Army has employed helicopter gunships and fighter jets to target ethnic resistance groups.”
FBR said that in one case on the 10th of October, a 45 year-old Kachin man, Nboi Zau Nan, was beaten to death by Burma Army soldiers.
According to figures released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Burma has 587,000 civilians internally displaced by conflict.
